For property owners in Madagascar, a power cut is more than an inconvenience. When your guests are on holiday by the sea, a dark room and a silent air conditioner can quickly turn into a bad review. That is why a growing number of owners and installers are looking at solar energy system in Madagascar as a long-term solution to unreliable grid.
In this case, we look at a 60kW hybrid solar system with 320kWh of battery storage installed on the roof of a beachfront apartment building. Its primary objectives are to provide backup power, reduce operating costs, and enhance residential comfort. With a daily power output of 360 to 390 kWh, it comfortable meets the daily electricity needs of a 20-unit property.
Why Solar Energy System Matters in Madagascar
Madagascar’s electricity situation creates two very different needs.
In coastal cities, power cuts remain frequent. Residences, hotels, and rental apartments that depend on the grid struggle to keep air conditioning, refrigeration, lighting and internet running reliably.
In remote seaside areas, many homes and properties have no public grid connection at all.
For them, relying on diesel generators is the only way to maintain electricity supply—but diesel costs remain persistently high, making this backup option expensive and difficult to sustain.
Project Overview
Local installer Fabien sourced complete hybrid systems from United Energy (UE), combining UE-branded solar panels and battery storage with a Deye three-phase hybrid inverter.
System Configuration
- Solar Panel: 96 PCS of 630W N-Type TOPCon Bifacial Dual Glass Module (30-Year Warranty)
- Inverter: 1 Unit of 60kW Deye Three-Phase Hybrid Inverter (5-10 Years Warranty)
- Battery: 2 Clusters of 160kWh High-Voltage LiFePO4 Battery (10-Year Warranty)
60.48kWp of N-Type TOPCon Bifacial Solar Panels
The UE 630W module uses N-type TOPCon cell technology with a bifacial dual-glass construction. Key advantages for Madagascar’s high-irradiance coastal environment:
- Up to 23.3% module efficiency, maximizing power density on limited rooftop space.
- Lower temperature coefficient for better performance in hot coastal conditions.
- Built with Grade A cells and a 0 to +5W positive power tolerance.
- 30-year power warranty with 1% first-year degradation and 0.4% annual degradation thereafter.
320kWh of LiFePO4 Battery Storage
The storage system consists of 2 clusters, each containing 10 × 16kWh battery modules (160kWh per cluster). Each module uses Grade A Hithium/EVE 314Ah cells.
- 8000+ cycle life at 80% depth of discharge
- 10-year warranty for long-term investment security
- The energy system's built-in intelligent BMS protects against overcharge, over-discharge, over-current, and extreme temperatures.
60kW Deye Three-Phase Hybrid Inverter
The Deye SUN-60K-SG02HP3-EU-EM6 serves as the system’s central brain:
- 6 MPPT trackers with 2 strings each, enabling flexible roof layout and partial shading tolerance.
- Max. efficiency of 98.7% and MPPT efficiency above 99%.
- Supports diesel generator integration for emergency backup— the batteries can be recharged even after several cloudy days..
- Max. 10 units in parallel for future expansion.
How the System Works Day and Night
With 96 modules installed across the apartment rooftop, the array is designed to produce 360–390kWh per day under Madagascar’s typical 6–6.5 peak sun hours.
This 20-unit rental apartment building is designed around 10–15kWh per unit per day—about 200–300kWh for guests, plus common areas, water pumping and laundry. Total daily demand is around 300–380kWh, perfectly matching the system’s 360–390kWh daily solar yield.
| Load | Consumption | Main Power Source |
| Nighttime AC, lighting and appliances (18:00–08:00) | ~180-220kWh | Battery storage |
| Daytime base load (refrigeration, common areas, minor AC) | ~80-100kWh | Direct solar |
| Pumping, laundry and pool systems (scheduled at peak sun) | ~40-60kWh | Direct solar |
| Battery reserve for cloudy days and peak occupancy | ~40-60kWh | Battery storage |
At night, the 320kWh battery discharges about 200kWh, leaving a healthy margin. During the day, solar covers daytime loads and recharges the battery. The diesel generator is no longer a daily power source—it becomes a last resort for extended cloudy periods.
The result: guests get uninterrupted AC, lighting and hot water after sunset, while the owner avoids daily diesel costs and grid uncertainty.
Installation Highlight
United Energy provided a customized solar panel layout, while Fabien and his team handled the on-site installation. The result is a well-organized rooftop solar system designed to make good use of the available roof space.
For coastal solar projects, we recommend using corrosion-resistant mounting structures, securing cables properly, and leaving enough space for safe inspection and maintenance. These details help support the long-term performance and reliability of the system.
Project Results & Feedback
After installation, the system has been running smoothly:
- Daily solar yield of 360–390kWh — consistently meeting the building’s consumption profile
- Zero grid dependence for nighttime operations — the battery bank carries the full evening and overnight load
- Diesel generator usage reduced to emergency-only — eliminating daily fuel costs and noise
Cost savings: with annual generation of approximately 131,400-142,350 kWh, and a diesel yield of 3-4 kWh per liter, the system avoids roughly 32,850-47,450 liters of diesel per year. At $1.08/liter, this represents approximately $35,500-51,200 per year in avoided diesel costs.
For reference, if the same electricity were taken from the grid at $0.13/kWh, the equivalent electricity bill would be about $17,100-18,500 per year.
Fabien replied to us: “The system has performed very well.” In the future, we look forward more cooperation with him.
Planning a Solar + Storage Project in Madagascar?
Whether you are an installer, property developer, or business owner, we can help you design a system that eliminates diesel dependency and delivers reliable power—day and night.